What should you do first when crossing a fence while hunting alone?

When crossing a fence while hunting alone, the initial and most critical action is to unload your firearm. This ensures that the gun is rendered incapable of firing, thus minimizing the risk of an accidental discharge during the crossing. Unloading the firearm creates a safer environment, especially when navigating potentially hazardous scenarios like climbing a fence, where balance and mobility may be compromised.

Engaging the safety, while important, does not guarantee that the firearm is completely safe; the safety can fail or be accidentally disengaged. Placing the firearm on the ground could lead to it being knocked or accidentally fired if it falls, and checking for obstructions is irrelevant if the gun is loaded, as any obstruction poses an increased risk when the gun is still capable of being fired. Therefore, ensuring the firearm is unloaded is the most important safety step when crossing a fence.